


Calm After the Storm

by BlackBirdAolen



Category: Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII Series
Genre: Calm Moment, F/M, Home, New World, Post-Game, Rebuilding, Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-04
Updated: 2017-02-04
Packaged: 2018-09-21 23:53:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9572447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackBirdAolen/pseuds/BlackBirdAolen
Summary: The new world is a wonderful place for Lightning. But she still struggles. Thankfully, she has Cid by her side, who stands by her no matter what.Got a fanfic idea for me?My deviantART - full of original fiction.Snippets and ramblings on my tumblr.





	

The world had finally come to a rest, in a way. Lightning still was a bit overwhelmed by the mere thought of it, but it was reality. They lived in a world where the crystals no longer mattered, where they were far from the fal'Cie and their rule. They were free to be as they wished, no longer bound by a Focus, the path fate had laid out before them, or time having gone haywire. It was all… orderly and peaceful. For a change. A life she was not accustomed to.

"You're up early, as per usual." Cid stood in the door, looking ruffled and sleepy still. Lightning couldn't help a small chuckle. He always looked so disorderly, completely different from how she had known him on Cocoon, and later in the Unseen Chaos. It looked adorable, to be sure. Another way of assuring her that this wasn't just a dream.

"And you look just as fresh out of bed as you usually do." She brushed her fingers through this thick mop of hair, but accomplished nearly nothing. "If the others knew…"

"…they would have a laugh." Cid yawned widely, stretching just a bit in the process. Lightning leaned against him, tapping her finger against his nose.

"Stretch any more, and you'll get taller than Snow." Lightning already had to go tiptoed whenever she wanted to even peck Cid's cheek. "I don't think I wouldn't be able to catch up."

Cid snickered, a smug expression coming to his face. "Well, you're great enough for me." He scooped her up in his arms before she could protest. "And now, we really should get ready for the day. There still are a lot of issues to tackle. Since we have been suspiciously short on fal'Cie as of late, we must ensure everyone is getting enough. We don't want petty quarrels to break out again, do we?"

Lightning sighed quietly. It was a tough job managing a whole new society, but Cid was doing admirably. He had already established a strong leadership, and it was plain to her that there was nothing left of the insecurity about being the fal'Cie's pawn all along. Cid had left that part of his past behind. She was still struggling at times, but that could also be blamed that Bhunivelze had used her just as much as Anima had tried to.

"What's the matter?" Cid gently stroke her cheek. "You look worried."

"It's just some stupid memories. Don't worry about it, I'm fine." Lightning gave him a small smile, but it was even more honest. She still had difficulties at time to really express her emotions. "I'll deal with it in my own way. By being by your side and ensuring that you can take it easy after a long day of work."

Cid still looked worried, and he scooped Lightning up in his arms, which was met with only small protest. Whenever Cid worried like that, Lightning couldn't possibly be mad at him. He was worrying about her, that was all there was to this. There was nothing of him believing that she might not be able to handle herself. It was just the genuine worry that she was hiding something from him. Lightning would have loved to just tell him, but it was just too difficult for her.

"I'll be back early today, okay? I want to have a nice evening with you." Cid smiled, nudging her very gently. He was being such a silly at times, but there was always something behind it. This time, he wanted to make sure that she wasn't trying to huddle up in herself again, and not talk to him for a while. It had happened before, and in such situations, Cid had just pulled her into his lap, wrapped a blanket around them, and had waited, until emotions having remained hidden for far too long broke out in a single, powerful moment. It wasn't the healthiest way of dealing with it, but now the only one.

Lightning didn't like it, but it was the only way to deal with what had happened. She didn't fully want to confront what had happened to her, and Cid wasn't pushing her. Instead, he sought to help her out in any way he could, even if it sometimes resulted in Lightning yelling at him. He took it in stride, and he listened to her while she calmed down again. The mental scars that had remained were still all too present, but little by little, Lightning felt that she could trust enough so that she really could talk about it. She didn't have to lose face in public like this, and they could continue to work on their relationship while sorting through everything that had happened.

Cid hadn't remained without mental scars either. It all had been a turbulent time, but little by little, they would learn to cope. And as they all worked to create a better society, they would slowly evolve into better people. That was the belief that Cid had brought into this world, and Lightning saw reason in it. There was no sense in hoping for things to turn out for the better, or for everything to magically resolve itself. It would take hard work and dedication to rebuild what had been lost.

"You should get going." Lightning noticed how reluctant she felt about it. She wanted Cid to remain, to stay with her. But she couldn't keep him from his duties. She wouldn't have liked being kept from her own duties either. But sometimes, she thought about skipping a day. Just to relax and being able to enjoy what they had achieved so far. But on the other hand, it was just impossible to remain still for a long time. It also helped that Cid was ambitious in his goals, which again made Lightning aim high for her future.

"I should, yes. And I will now. You have a productive day." Cid chuckled, kissing Lightning's forehead, then setting her down. "You will do fantastically again, I'm sure of it."

"Thanks. And you will, too." Lightning pulled Cid down for a kiss, nuzzling his cheek lightly. "Promise that you will be home early?"

"I promise." Cid brushed through her hair gently. "There is still much to do, but for today, I think that I have prepared enough to be home early." He nudged her gently. "Well then… time to make our world a better place."


End file.
